Three Times
by Manger
Summary: The three times James Potter knew he loved Lily Evans. And the one time he did something about it.
_**Characters:** Lily Evans and James Potter and (the other marauders and co n passing)
 **Pairing:** Jily  
 **Fandom (and era):** The Marauder Era_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own anything having to do with Harry Potter, those rights belong to universal studios and J.K. Rowling.  
 **Notes:** Nothing, just read._

* * *

 **ONE**

James Potter was thirteen the first time loving Lily Evans crossed his mind. It had been a humid day in March and Lily, James and a few of both their friends, along with children from other houses were littered across the Hogwarts courtyard.

Some students were playing gobstones and others exploding snap while other like James and his friends were just lounging around on the grass.

Sirius had been saying something about how he had kissed a girl two years above them and how it felt to have his lips pressed against hers when James's eyes wandered over to a small group of Gryffindor girls.

Dorcas Meadowes, A dark skinned girl with short curly hair had her back to him, and so did the blonde girl he'd grown up with, Marlene McKinnon. But Lily Evans was facing him. Her wand was in her hair keeping it in a bun that would surely fall out later in charms when they had to practice a spell. And the baggy Gryffindor robes were off of her shoulders and when their eyes met it was James was seeing Lily for the first time in the three years of knowing her.

His heart stopped beating as Lily gave him a small smile to which he returned it with an even bigger and goofier one; and his coffee colored hand flew up to his untamable jet black hair where he ran his boney fingers through it.

Lily looked away first, that's when James could breathe again. And when he heard Sirius cough loudly he looked at his best mate.

"Yes?" He blinked from behind his glasses.

"Are you okay or do you need a cold shower?" Sirius snickered at James's expense.

* * *

 **TWO**

Recently turned fifteen year old James felt someone tug on his robes, pulling him inside a small broom cupboard.

"Evans," James smirked, his heart pounding loudly in his ears, "If I knew you wanted me than all you had to do was ask." Lily frowned and hit his shoulder enacting a pain filled cry from the quidditch player.

"Listen here Potter; I'm here to enlist your help."

"Enlist it in what?"

"I'm here to enlist it in breaking me out of the castle."

"I'm sorry, what?" James had to double take. Miss. Goodie-Prefect-Evans was not trying to break out of the castle, thus breaking over a dozen school rules.

"Doe's birthday is coming up and up and her family never gets her anything so the girls," Marlene, Alice and Mary, "and I do. Only I couldn't go to Hogsmead last week and now I have nothing for her!" Lily rambled with high-pitched worried tone in her voice.

"Evans!" James's hands clasped to the girl's shoulders-he was touching her, he was touching her!

"Pull yourself together!" And on command Lily's body became more rigid, though her pupils were dilated and her bottom lip was clutched in between her teeth.

"So you'll help me break out of the castle tonight?"

"I'll help you." James nodded and Lily swallowed a gulp of stale, hot cupboard air.

The pair stumbled from the cubby and started to stroll to their common room. On the way their James felt his thin lips dry up.

"So why'd you ask me and not, you know, Sirius or Dorcas's boyfriend-Remus?" Lily murmured something under her breath.

"What was that?" James grinned.

"You were the first one I thought to go to," Lily repeated causing James to let this wide, shit eating grin to take over his face.

'I was the first person she thought of going to!'

* * *

 **THREE**

James Potters head was killing him. The world surrounding him was pitch black and his head was pounding.

Fuck.

"Please wake up, please." Lily, James noted. Lily Evans, the girl who he'd fancied for years was begging him to wake up. But wait, he was up, wasn't he? The more James thought about it, about getting back to Lily, who was pleading with him to wake up, his head hurt more, and so did the rest of his body.

"What the bloody fuck happened?" James asked aloud. He saw six heads leaning over him, each with a look of relief washing over the puffy red skin.

"Jamie!" Sirius punched onto James who let out a painful groan as the boy he thought of as a brother tightly clutched his aching body.

"Sirius!" Remus yanked the dog anigmus off the youngest Potter-James slumped back onto the bed like a ragdoll.

"Sorry," Sirius murmured, a sly grin on his face when he saw the way Lily was looking at his best friend, and the way James's eye caught Lily's and the lazy smile that took over his features.

"I'm going to get Poppy," Dorcas murmured to Remus, her long term boyfriend.

"I'll come too," He murmured, trying to give James and Lily as much privacy as Sirius would allow after what happened.

"Lily," James rasped. The redhead stepped closer and James laced his fingers with her hands when her hand touched his.

"I heard you."

* * *

 **ONE**

They'd been dating seven months. The couple being Lily Evans and James Potter. And it was, in simplest way to put it, magical. It was now Easter break and James was passing a jewelry store in Diagon Alley when he saw the most beautiful ring in all of existence. He looked at the price and knew he'd be able to afford it, and since it just screamed: LILY, James knew he had to get it.

James wandered into the store and up to the old man who stood behind the counter.

"Uh, hi, I saw the ring up front in the window-the one with the red stone in the head and the antler shoulders," James spoke, knowing the parts of the ring-it was the most boring something Sirius had made him learn after owing him one.

'What about it?" The shop keeper looked at the young man, the boy, perplexed. Had he not seen the sign of the window display?

"I'd like to buy it."

"Son," the old man spoke, "You did see the display, correct?" James made a face indicating he had not.

"It's an engagement ring sonny-boy." James's eye widen slightly.

Did he want to get Lily an engagement ring? The moment the question raced through James's mind he knew the answer.

"I'd still like to buy it sir."


End file.
